The Final California Coast Highway Journey – All of the Finest Stops Alongside the PCH

This post contains affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. All opinions are always our own. Read our full disclosure for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

It’s hard to beat the views road tripping along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). It’s one of the most scenic drives in the world. The PCH (also referred to as State Route 1, Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway, or Coast Highway) runs 655.8 miles between Orange County and Mendocino County, but we’re going to put a guide together that takes you up the entire coast.

Keep in mind that you can do any portion of this drive and split it up into multiple trips depending on how much you want to explore each area. We have suggestions for places to check out along the way and you can click the links to more in-depth guides of areas we’ve spent more time in.

THE ULTIMATE CALIFORNIA COAST ROAD TRIP

WHAT WE COVER [ CLICK LINKS TO SKIP AHEAD ]

San Diego – Los Angeles

Los Angeles – San Luis Obispo (SLO)

SLO to Monterey

Monterey to San Francisco

San Francisco to Mendocino

Mendocino to Crescent City

Best Places to Stay

A Map to Help You Get Around

Essential Tips for First-Time Visitors

California Coast Itinerary

We did our guide from South to North because we lived in both San Diego and LA and they’re both easy starting points to fly into. If you’re visiting from out of state and only plan on driving a portion of the coast, we suggest flying into SF and going from North to South to be closest to the coast and have easier access to pullouts.

SAN DIEGO TO LOS ANGELES

Distance: 132 Miles / 4 hr

Although the PCH doesn’t technically start until Dana Point, we’re going to start our guide in San Diego. Partly because it’s an easy place to fly into to start, but also because we lived there for a year and loved exploring the area.

SAN DIEGO – Mile 0

San Diego was one of our favorite places to live. The chill vibe, surfing culture, and beautiful beaches mixed with endless attractions make it a perfect place to start. Just try not to get stuck here. You may never want to leave.

San Diego Zoo is rated one of the best zoos in the country.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park – We love it much more than the main zoo, and our favorite part is the safari experience. This property can actually fit 180 San Diego Zoos!

La Jolla – kayak through the caves, visit Sunny Jim Cave, and say hello to the seals at Children’s pool. You can also test your skills and become whiskey divers.

Cabrillo National Monument Tide Pools – Visit the lighthouse, and go tide-pooling with your whole family. There are tons of sea critters to find.

ALSO READ: The Ultimate San Diego Bucket List

CARLSBAD – Mile 35

Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch – beautiful photo spot if you’re there in the spring

Legoland California Resort – for the little ones, but we really enjoyed the miniature lego world.

Blue Ocean Robata & Sushi Bar – delicious omakase

DANA POINT – Mile 64.5

Ocean Institute/Pilgrim Boat – a Family-friendly spot where you can interact with sealife or participate in classes to learn more about the ocean.

Pirate’s Cave – The 1.2-mile hike is only safe to do during low tide.

Salt Creek Beach – popular surfing beach with beautiful cliffs on the north and south side.

LONG BEACH – Mile 105

Queen Mary – Explore this amazing ship that’s popular amongst locals.

Aquarium of the Pacific – See all things Pacific ocean, including penguins, sea otters, etc.

Wayfarers Chapel (Palos Verdes) – beautiful glass church with views of the ocean and garden

SS Dominator Shipwreck (Palos Verdes) – a coastal hike to see the remains of this shipwreck

Point Vincente Lighthouse – beautiful coastal lighthouse

LA TO SAN LUIS OBISPO (SLO)

Distance: 219 Miles / 4 hr 15 min

LOS ANGELES – Mile 132We’ll end day 1 in Los Angeles, which is another spot you can spend all week in, but a convenient stop since you’ll have everything you need nearby.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse – built in 1871, it is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast

Ano Nuevo State Reserve – home to tons of sea lions with a 3-mile trail that takes you close to them

PACIFICA – Mile 602.6

Devil’s Slide Trail – used to be the most dangerous portion of PCH, but is now a trail for hiking and biking

Pacifica State Beach – beautiful beach popular among surfers, plus you can eat at the most picturesque Taco Bell in the country – seriously!

Mori Point – 110-acre park located on a bluff giving you great views of the coastline

SAN FRANCISCO TO MENDOCINO

Distance: 170 Miles / 4 hr 20 min

I recommend spending a couple days exploring SF and the surrounding area. If you are, go ahead and drive up to Point Reyes Station as well. Otherwise, when you’re ready to leave, continue heading north.

Bowling Ball Beach – located just north of Schooner Gulch State Beach, this beach has bowling ball-like rock formations that appear only at low tide. Don’t forget to check the tide tables. We had to come back twice!

MENDOCINO TO CRESCENT CITY

Distance: 229 Miles / 4 hr 45 min

The rest of California feels different. There are some great kitschy touristy stops, lots of hiking, and beautiful scenery. You’re technically off the PCH by this point, but it’s still worth seeing how the scenery changes as you are surrounded by massive redwoods.

FORT BRAGG – Mile 795

Glass Beach – a colorful beach with colorful glass along the beach

MacKerricher State Park – trails with beautiful tree tunnels

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens – for the flower and plant lovers

Pudding Creek Trestle – unique wooden bridge great for photos

LEGGETT – Mile 838.4

Chandelier Drive-Through Tree – a fun drive-through tree

Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area – check out a river canyon with year-round camping, hiking, and swimming

GARBERVILLE – Mile 861.4

Richardson Grove State Park – walk amongst redwoods on one of the hikes

One Log House – see a house made in one log

MYERS FLAT – Mile 877.8

Shrine Drive-Through Tree – another drive-through tree

Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Weott) – amazing park where you can see massive trees – check out Founders Grove & Avenue of Giants

EUREKA – Mile 928.8

Sequoia Park Zoo – oldest zoo in California

Carson Mansion – large Victorian home (considered the grandest in America)

CONTINUE TO THE OREGON COAST HIGHWAY

From Crescent City, you’re only 20 miles away from the Oregon State line and more amazing coast to explore. Check out our Ultimate Oregon Coast Road Trip guide.

WHERE TO STAY

We’ve done SD to LA and LA to SF countless times but mostly stayed with friends. When we did it in its entirety, we were in an Airstream, which means most of our accommodations were campgrounds and RV sites. We’ll continue to add in more recommendations for hotels and Airbnbs once we get a chance to check more out.

Big Sur (Fernwood Resort)

Fort Bragg (Pomo RV Park & Campground)

MAP OF THE CALIFORNIA COAST

Coming Soon!

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR FIRST TIMERS

When to Go: Spring and Fall will have the fewest crowds and great weather. If you go during the winter, SoCal will stay warm but will be colder as you go north. The popular spots will bring in tons of tourists in the summer.

Be Flexible: You never know what area you’ll discover and love. Make a plan on how many days you want to spend on the road, but give yourself flexibility in case you want to spend more time in a specific area. If you have more time, we highly recommend staying more than a day in San Diego, LA, Santa Barbara, SLO, Big Sur, and SF. Other spots you can more or less get the gist of the area in one day.

Consider Driving North to South: That will keep you on the side of the coast and makes it easy to take advantage of pullouts.

Clothes to Wear: Dress in layers. It can get windy on the coast and it also helps to have waterproof layers in case it rains.

Park Passes to Pick Up: Pick up a California Parks Pass and America the Beautiful Pass to save money on the parks. America the Beautiful Pass covers National Parks, BLM, National Forests, and National Wildlife Refuges.

DID YOU ENJOY THE POST? PIN IT FOR LATER

ESTHER + JACOB

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 50 travel blogs in the world. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They move to a new city every year and currently live in Portland, Oregon.

You Might Also Love:

Highway 1 Road Trip Through Big Sur

South Tufa Mono Lake California

21 Best American Road Trips to Put on Your Bucket List

Pfeiffer Beach Big Sur – Famous Purple Sand Beach

The post The Ultimate California Coast Road Trip – All the Best Stops Along the PCH appeared first on Local Adventurer » Travel Adventures in Portland + World Wide